National Policy on Older Persons

The National Policy on Older Persons was constituted in May 1999. The policy says that State Government will take action to provide facilities, concessions and relief to senior citizens to improve their quality of life, and also ensure that the existing public services are user-friendly to older people.

It extends support for financial security, health care, shelter, welfare and other needs of the elderly. It also provides protection against abuse and exploitation, and makes available opportunities for the development of potential of older people.

The main features of NPOP include:

1. Financial Security

2. Health Care and Nutrition

3. Shelter

4. Welfare

5. Basic Facilities

6. NGOs

7. Research and Training

Financial Security

> The old age pension scheme, which provides 200rs per month to people aged 60-79 and 500rs to those above 80, covers all older persons below poverty line.
> Broadens pension scheme to include both public and private sectors.
> Exempts tax for medical and nursing care, transportation and support services for the elderly or the son or daughter with whom they are staying.
> The Public Distribution System that provides basic commodities at very cheap rates covers all the people above 60 and below the poverty line.

Health Care and Nutrition

> Gives a subsidy for health care needs to elderly poor. There is a graded system of user charges for others.
> Provides public health services and health insurance to ensure preventive, curative, restorative and rehabilitative needs of the older persons.
> Provides tax reliefs, grants, and land grants at concessional rates to NGOs and private hospitals to provide economical and specialized care for the older person.
> Sets up special elder care wards and runs training and orientation programs for elder care.
> Expands mental health services and counseling facilities for the elderly having mental health problems

Shelter

> Gives easy access to house loans and earmarks 10% of private and government housing schemes.
> Makes the layout of housing colonies sensitive to the needs of older people.
> Ensures the quick disposal of cases of property-transfer, mutation, property-tax etc.

Welfare

> Ensures institutional care to the most vulnerable among the older persons such as poor, mentally and physically weak and those without family support.
> Sets up welfare funds for elder people with the help of Corporate Sector, trust, charities, individual donors and others.

Basic Facilities

> Provides identity cards, fare concessions, preference in reservation of seats, earmarking of seats in local public transport and priority in providing gas and telephone connections to the elderly.
> Aims to involve mass media as well as informal and traditional communication channels on ageing issues.

NGOs

It supports NGOs and ensures transparency, accountability, simplification of procedures and timely release of grants for the NGOs working for elderly.

Research & Training

> Creating a database on older persons and encouraging research at institutes along with funding.> Having an inter-disciplinary coordination body on research with professionals.> The necessity of a national institute of research, training and documentation is recognised. Assistance will be
given for setting up resource centres in different part of the country.

FAQs

< This policy ensures the wellbeing of the elderly so that they do not become marginalized, unprotected or ignored.
< Ensures lower income tax rates for elderly, due to greater health expenditures.
< Emphasis is laid on increasing their access to quality health care services, which includes long-term management of illness as well as provision of nursing care, provision of quality affordable health services through subsidized user charges, insurance, etc.
< Ensures for the elderly an equal share in the benefits of development, as well as addresses the neglect of elderly women on age, widowhood and gender.
< Promotes an age-integrated society by adopting mechanisms for improving inter-generational ties so as to make the elderly a part and parcel of families/households.
Considers the elderly as a resource by advocating their inclusion within the family, community and society.
< Gives specific productive roles and opportunities for the elderly.
< Views the elderly as an agency which needs to be empowered, with regard to their voice and representation in the electoral sphere.

An initial assessment in the memory clinic is done to ascertain the diagnosis and the needs of the patient. The family is then taken for a tour of the facility. Once they decide on the type of room, formalities for a short term admission are completed. All long term admissions have to be preceded by a short term admission. This allows us to assess the patient better and also allows the family to ensure that they are getting the best care possible before committing to long term admission.

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About Us

IndiaElderConnect is brought to you by Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT). Nightingales Medical Trust is a professionally managed not-for-profit organization based in Bengaluru working for the well-being of the elderly since 1998. The Trust strives to strengthen family bonds and promote community-based support systems, and provides a system of affordable and accessible services, thereby setting new trends in age care.